Investor & Technical Assistance Database

This database targets companies looking for financial and/or technical support. The database lists organisations and initiatives providing different kinds of support, such as capital in the form of grants, loans and equity, or technical support in the form of advice, partnership brokering or networking support. To learn more about the database, click the info button on the right. 

For current training opportunities, networking events, and calls for application, access our opportunities page

Use the search filters below to narrow down your search for financial and/or technical support providers.

ABOUT THE DATABASE

Who is this database for?

This database aims to serve inclusive businesses that are looking for sources of support to help them grow, ranging from capital to technical support.

 

What does the database cover?

This database lists organizations that provide technical and financial support to inclusive businesses. The database will continue growing as support organizations are registered. Inclusive businesses are diverse, and so too are the range of organizations that provide support and the types of support they offer. The resources listed cover a continuum of financing solutions, from grants and concessional financing to commercial finance and private equity. They also include organizations and initiatives providing technical assistance (TA), advice, partnership brokering, information, advocacy, and networking. The database is easy to navigate and provides useful filters such as the range of financial support provided and the stage of enterprise supported (if such information is available). 

More organizations will be added over time and suggestions are welcome. Other database that we recommend include:

► GET.invest: focused on renewable energy in Africa
► Nexus for Development: focused on Southeast Asia
 The Mix: Database on microfinance services

Why and how was the database developed?

Inclusive business entrepreneurs often face difficulties identifying partners that could provide crucial financial and technical support. Even though such support is available, information about it is often fragmented and hard to find. The database addresses this challenge, making information on financial and technical support easy to identify and navigate by providing easily searchable categories and filters.

The entries and information provided in the database are compiled by the research team using information publicly available on organization websites or provided directly by the organizations themselves. 

 

Who developed the database?

The Practitioner Hub for Inclusive Business (now inclusivebusiness.net) and the Asian Development Bank set up this database to help overcome this challenge. The Connect to Grow programme supported further development of this database in 2016, specifically to include intermediaries in its target countries. In late 2017 and 2018, the DFID Impact Programme funded the most comprehensive review and update of the database yet, which was implemented by Endeva. The Endeva team reviewed the categories and all existing entries, and also added hundreds of entries with the support of the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and other partners.

ANDE has just launched a new site of their own that provides data about financial and non-financial support available for small and growing businesses in a specific city or country. ANDE’s Ecosystem Snapshots aim to help those supporting entrepreneurs to foster conditions in which businesses can thrive. 

 

USING THE DATABASE

What can users search for on the database?

You can keep your search for organizations broad by just selecting the finance and/or technical support offering you are looking for or you can narrow down your search by selecting further filters such as type of organization, sector, region/country etc. If you are looking for a specific topic that is not included in the current category list, use the keywords search bar to search the entire database. This will return results on that topic from the whole database.

 

If users want all entries from Asia, does one need to select all Asian countries, too (or ditto for other continents)?

No. If you would like to see all the material for one continent, for example South Asia, select ‘South Asia’ under the ‘Region/Country’ filter and click on the ‘Apply’ button. This will bring up all intermediaries that provide support in South Asia.

 

Country

Intermediary Database

Displaying 1 - 10 of 31
Acorn Private Equity
Sub-Saharan Africa

Acorn does not currently offer any LLP funds. Instead, the team focuses all its energy on managing and growing our current funds. Looking to the future, Acorn may very well offer an LLP Fund or Funds again.

The Acorn LLP Funds are structured as en commandite limited partnerships. Acorn therefore accepts unlimited liability on the investments made by the partnership whilst the other partners (the Limited Partner investors) assume limited liability. This ensures exclusivity and a close relationship with our investors.

Type of OrganisationPrivate equity fund/ Private equity fund manager/ venture capital fund
Region/CountrySub-Saharan Africa
South Africa
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageGrowth Companies
Acumen
East Asia and Pacific, Global, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa

Acumen is a non-profit that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders, and ideas that tackle poverty. The organisation provides long-term debt or equity investments ranging from USD 250,000 to USD 3,000,000 in early-stage companies with payback or exit in seven to ten years. Acumen also offers fellowships that include leadership training and working with one of Acumen's portfolio companies.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Global, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingEquity, Debt finance
Amount$500,000 - 2M
Exact Amount$250,000 - 3 million
Technical Support OfferingFellowship, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Advance Consulting
Global

Advance Consulting is an international business consulting company specialized in the acquisition of (repayable) grants, concessional loans and equity finance for companies investing in emerging economies. Over the past 20 years we have successfully developed business plans and sourced concessional funding for our clients in more than 40 countries. To date Advance Consulting successfully supported over 400 companies to attract funding. Annually we raise between EUR 40 and EUR 80 million for our clients and impact projects globally. We have a strong network of impact funders, including (governmental) donor agencies, DFIs, institutional financiers, private investors and fund managers.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
Focus StageEarly Stage, Growth Companies
Akvo Foundation
Global

We believe in equal access to public services, reliable infrastructure and a safer environment for everyone. We are convinced that this will happen faster if governments and non-governmental organisations become more effective, accountable and collaborative.

Since 2008, we’ve worked with over 20 governments and 200 organisations in more than 70 countries to improve the way they implement development projects and make decisions using data. We call them partners.

With our combination of tools, services, local expertise and sector knowledge, our partners improve the management of water, sanitation and agriculture, with a strong commitment to accelerating the progress of the sustainable development goals.

Having the right knowledge and resources to effectively collaborate can be a challenge. Good data is critical for contributing to impact, and the right skills and tools are essential for data-driven decision making.

So how do you ensure success, from designing and implementing your programme to creating sustainable change?

We provide a series of services to ensure you succeed at every step of your programme. We support these services with our open source data platform to help you capture, clean, visualise and share your data in the best way possible.

Type of OrganisationFoundation
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
CEGESTI
Latin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa

CEGESTI provides consulting services, research and knowledge transfer, capacity building, consulting and training in order to support sustainable development in Latin America.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy, NGO
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean, Sub-Saharan Africa
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, Mentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeNot specified
CEWAS
Global

CEWAS is a non-profit association specialised in improving business practices in water and sanitation through training and awareness-raising. Its "start-up" programme helps to launch new businesses and NGOs through thematic lectures, workshops and one-to-one coaching sessions.

Type of OrganisationAccelerator/Incubator, NGO
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups, NGOs/Non-profits
CREAS ECUADOR
Latin America and the Caribbean

We are an impact investment fund investing in early-stage companies in Ecuador that are resolving social and environmental issues in the country. Equity tickets range from $50K to $250K.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryLatin America and the Caribbean
Ecuador
Finance OfferingEquity
Amount$50,000 -150,000
Exact Amount$50,000-$250,000
Technical Support OfferingOne-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses
Focus StageEarly Stage
Dalberg
Global

Dalberg is a strategic advisory firm with services in strategy, evaluation, human-centred design, inclusive business growth, inclusive economic development, investing for development, leadership and talent, organisational effectiveness, and policy and advocacy.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy
Region/CountryGlobal
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingAdvocacy, Information sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeNot specified
Factor[e]
Global

Based in the U.S., Factor[e] is a venture development firm that delivers a mix of risk capital (equity) and technical assistance to early stage entrepreneurs using innovative technology to improve lives in developing countries. It's main strengths are technology and venture creation.

Type of OrganisationImpact investment fund/ impact investment fund manager/ impact focused venture capital fund
Region/CountryGlobal
Finance OfferingEquity
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingMentoring, Talent Placement, Network-based support, Partnership brokering, investment facilitation, networking, Training, and other classroom based support (online/offline)
Focus TypeStart-ups
Focus StageEarly Stage
Field Service Management App for Social Enterprises and Nonprofits
East Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa

TaroWorks LLC is a social enterprise that sells an advanced mobile data platform to help organizations enhance data collection, monitoring, sales and inventory management in the field.  Our mission is to improve product and service delivery to the poor by bringing real-time data to any organization, anywhere.

Launched by the Grameen Foundation in 2013, TaroWorks has now reached more than 90 social enterprises and nonprofit organizations across 30+ countries, supporting over 200,000 micro-entrepreneurs and improving the lives of over 3 million of the world’s poor.

TaroWorks LLC is a wholly-owned company of Grameen Foundation, a global nonprofit that empowers the poor, especially women, with breakthroughs to end poverty and hunger. TaroWorks is a nimble software as a service (SaaS) company with access to Grameen Foundation’s expertise in agriculture and health.

Type of OrganisationConsultancy, Foundation
Region/CountryEast Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa
Finance OfferingNot specified
Exact Amount
Technical Support OfferingInformation sharing, resources and publications, One-to-one advisory support, Consulting Services
Focus TypeSmall and growing businesses, NGOs/Non-profits
Focus StageGrowth Companies